Terming the order of the Delhi High Court on refunding the excess fee charged by city schools, a major victory for parents and big defeat for the Delhi Government, leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta on Thursday said that the order which direct 98 schools to deposit 75 per cent of excess fee charged by them in 14 days has proved to be defeat of Aam Aadmi Party Government.
Gupta said that it is an important milestone for Delhi Abhibhavak Mahasangh (DAM) which had been crusading for excess fee return since 2009. “The Government did not pursue the matter with right earnest, resulting in unnecessary delay for six years.
Gupta further said that during the first tenure of six months and present tenure of more than two and a half years, the Government failed to pressurise 449 schools to return the excess fee to the tune of about Rs 500 crore with nine per cent interest to the parents. “It is only recently that the Government took strong stand after lot of dilly-dallying against which schools went to the High Court. The Government should have taken stringent measures long back,” he said.
He also recalled that the High Court had set-up Justice Anil Dev Committee and ordered refund of excess fee in 2011 on a plea by the Delhi Abhibhavak Mahasangh.